Pathway to Japanese Literature

Love, Jitte, and a Pickpocket: A Tale of Edo

Love, Jitte, and a Pickpocket: A New Wave Film (Silent)

Original Work and Screenplay Adaptation: Ako Sannosuke

(Yamanaka Sadao)

Director: Hirose Gorō

Cinematography: Miki Minoru

Cast

Pickpocket Atomizu Sanji: Kawazu Seizaburō

Police Informant Tetsugorō 'Ironclad': Katagiri Tsuneo

Tea shop girl Ogin: Mochizuki Reiko

Younger Brother Katsubō: Suzuki Katsuhiko

Ronin Ukai Gorō: Kichōji Hikaru

(Ukai Saburō)

(Ukai Saburō)

Sagara Denbee (actually Tanakura Denpachi): Higashi Ryōnosuke

(Sagara Den'emon [actually Tanakura Denpachirō])

"My instincts about that scoundrel have never once failed me." (O.L.)

“Tetsugorō the police informant—people call me Ironclad Tetsu.”

STREET CORNER (EARLY DAWN)

Tetsugorō 'Ironclad Tetsu', the police informant, came ambling over during his morning stroll, stopped in front of the camera, and called out.

“Sanji! You there?”

The pickpocket Atomizu Sanji turned around when called.

They were sworn enemies, yet got along like brothers.

Tetsugorō turned to Sanji and
“Lately you’ve been heading out early every morning without fail...”
he said suspiciously,
“Where in the world are you going every single morning?”

When asked, Sanji put on a composed face.

"Morning prayers at the Inari Shrine in the next alley over..."

"Hah?!" Tetsugorō exclaimed in disbelief. "You?!"

Sanji said, "Boss..."

"Praying to the gods isn't half bad once you try it yourself," Tetsugorō retorted.

With that, he said, “Gotta hurry off now—’scuse me,” and strode away briskly.
Tetsugorō watched him leave, finding it peculiar, but went off in the opposite direction from Sanji regardless.

VICINITY

Tetsugorō came and stopped.

“Wait,” he considered.

"It must be that scoundrel."

He muttered to himself,

"He's probably out pulling a job bright and early."

There, Tetsugorō pivoted sharply on his heel and ran off.

INARI SHRINE PRECINCTS

(The tea shop was a daytime-only tea stall.
(In other words, it operated only during daylight hours—once night fell, they would close up shop and return home.)

Sanji was sitting at the shrine's tea stall, looking awfully pleased.

Because it was still early morning and there were no customers, Ogin, the tea shop girl, was passing the time by making small talk with Sanji.)

VICINITY

There, Tetsugorō arrived.

He was momentarily taken aback by the sight of them but came right over to their side and sat down on the stool next to Sanji.

Ogin stopped her conversation with Sanji and went inside the house to pour tea.

Seeing that, Tetsugorō looked at Sanji and smirked.

Sanji blushed slightly.

Tetsugorō,

“I see. Praying to the gods ain’t so bad after all, eh?”

When he was told this, Sanji turned bright red.
He had been fidgeting but, perhaps unable to bear it any longer, left tea money and hurried away.

Tetsugorō, who had watched him leave, burst into laughter.

(F.O.)

“He’s young, but that Atomizu Sanji...” (O.L.)

“He’s Edo’s most notorious pickpocket.”

STREET CORNER

Sanji came around the corner.
He walked briskly up to the camera position and came to an abrupt stop.

There was a children’s fight up ahead.
Five or six children were ganging up on one child.

Sanji ran up and scattered the rowdy bunch.

The child who had been hit began sniffling.

“Don’t cry now, don’t cry,” Sanji soothed.

He took coins from his wallet and gave them to the child, who stopped crying.

Sanji patted the child’s head and tossed out, “Be a good kid and get on home,” before walking off.

The child stood there a moment, then began plodding after Sanji.

ROAD

Sanji sauntered along humming a tune (moving).

Two or three ken behind walked the child Katsubō.

Sanji sauntered along.

Eventually, he passed by a shop clerk.

After walking another five or six ken, Sanji smirked to himself.

He took out the wallet he had pickpocketed from the shop clerk, removed its contents, and tossed the empty wallet away with a flick.

(Action while walking)

In the distance—the ground where the wallet fell.

Katsubō, who had been following, stopped.
He made a strange face as he looked between Sanji and the wallet, then picked up the wallet and followed after Sanji.

He caught up and held out the picked-up wallet in front of Sanji.

Sanji was taken aback.
"What are you doing?
You brat!"

He snatched the wallet and hurled it far away.
This time, it was Katsubō who was taken aback.

Sanji patted Katsubō’s head,

"Be a good kid and go home now."

With those words, he hurried away.
(O.L.)

S = OTHER STREET――

Sanji sauntered along humming a tune as he moved.

After a short while, he passed by a pleasure-seeker.

After walking another five or six ken, Sanji smirked to himself.

He took out the wallet he had pickpocketed from the pleasure-seeker he’d just passed, removed its contents, and was about to toss the empty wallet when—with a start—he remembered something and stopped in his tracks.
He looked back.
What's this? Katsubō was still following him.

Sanji was fed up.
A bit roughly,

"Why don'tcha just scram already?"

Scolded, Katsubō's face fell.

When the boy became dejected, Sanji thought it somewhat pitiful.

"Get goin', will ya?"

When he said that, this time Katsubō began sniveling.

"Cry all ya want!" Sanji snapped, spinning on his heel and taking off running.

Katsubō also started running from behind.

S = A BEND IN THE ROAD

Sanji ran and turned the corner.

A moment later, Katsubō followed suit and turned the corner.

S = OTHER BEND IN THE ROAD

Sanji ran and turned the corner.

Sanji ran.

Sanji ran.

S = A CROSSROADS

Sanji ran up, turned the corner, and looked back.

When he realized Katsubō was no longer following, he finally felt relieved.

At that moment, Katsubō suddenly popped out from the side, saw Sanji, and came running toward him—but Sanji didn’t notice.

Feeling relieved and with his hands tucked into his sleeves, Sanji had just started heading in the direction where the child was when he noticed Katsubō running toward him.

(End of scene)

Sanji, looking haggard, started walking away as he was, whereupon Katsubō grabbed his sleeve affectionately and followed along.

Sanji was thoroughly fed up.

S = VICINITY――

Sanji came this far and stopped, then said to Katsubō,

“How ’bout we play hide-and-seek?”

Sanji proposed.

Katsubō was delighted.

Through rock-paper-scissors, Katsubō became “it,” leaned against a nearby wall, and closed his eyes.

Thinking he’d pulled it off, Sanji ran away.

Katsubō, faithfully covering his eyes and counting.

S = VICINITY――

Sanji came hurrying over.
When he glanced into the distance, there was Tetsugorō trudging along.
“Dammit!” Sanji exclaimed, quickly ducking behind cover.

Thereupon came Tetsugorō, who failed to notice Sanji.
Right around where Sanji was hiding, Tetsugorō was hailed and came to a stop.
The one who had called out was that very shop clerk who had earlier passed Sanji and had his wallet lifted.
The shop clerk and Tetsugorō stood conversing like acquaintances.

Sanji was hiding.

Katsubō, acting as 'it', came approaching while restlessly scanning his surroundings.

From his hiding spot, Sanji saw this and panicked.

The shop clerk was recounting to Tetsugorō in detail how the wallet had been stolen.

At that moment, Katsubō appeared, restlessly scanning his surroundings.

Sanji hunkered down in the shadows.

Katsubō searched around the area.

Sanji in the shadows.

Katsubō finally found Sanji and shouted loudly, "I found you!"

At the voice, Tetsugorō turned around,

Sanji emerged from the shadows.

Tetsugorō, startled, called out, “Isn’t that Sanji?!”

Sanji resigned himself and shuffled over,

“Boss, looks like I’ve gone and bumped into that constipated mug of yours again today.”

he said.

Tetsugorō looked between the shop clerk beside him and Sanji, nodded to himself, then said to Sanji,

“Did you do it, Sanji?”

When confronted, Sanji put on a serious air and said, “You must be joking, Boss.”

“I can’t be held responsible for some bumbling fool’s mess!”

he said,

“In the past maybe, but now Atomizu Sanji ain’t nothin’ but a truly honest man.”

he said.

Tetsugorō sneered,

“You’ve been playing dumb to the bitter end.”

Tetsugorō approached Sanji’s side and,

“Before long, you’ll…”

“Whoa there, Boss!” Sanji cut him off.
“You know how this spiel ends better’n I do.”

he said,

“You’d say something about securing the scene and making me eat that stinking rice, wouldn’t you?”

“You’re sharper than you look.”

“Th-th-that’s right!” said Tetsugorō.

Sanji let out a derisive chuckle.

“If I went blind, mute, and deaf, I wouldn’t know a damn thing.”

“What?!” barked Tetsugorō, his face flushing with anger. Sanji took a step back and let out another derisive chuckle—“Heh…” He laughed it off and slipped away. “Well then, ’scuse me, Boss!”

With that, he took Katsubō's hand and left.

After seeing them off, Tetsugorō stealthily began tailing Sanji from behind.
(F.O.)

S = A certain crossroads

Leading Katsubō by the hand, Sanji came sauntering along but stopped upon reaching this area.

S = Vicinity

Tetsugorō, who had surely been tailing them, stopped and quickly hid in the shadows.

S = Back at the original location

Sanji had noticed the tailing.
Having thought of something, he turned to Katsubō and,

"I'll be right back, so you wait here nice and quiet, got it?"

Katsubō nodded in understanding.

Sanji quickly turned into the alleyway.

From the shadows, Tetsugorō stealthily peered out,
At the corner, Katsubō was waiting alone.

Tetsugorō in the shadows stared intently.
Katsubō stood nonchalantly.
Tetsugorō in the shadows thought something was off.
Katsubō leaned leisurely against the wall and hummed some tune.

Tetsugorō, having grown suspicious, emerged from his hiding spot and trudged over to Katsubō’s side,
“Where did that mister go?”
he asked.
Katsubō pointed down the alleyway.

Tetsugorō promptly turned into the alleyway.
(O.L.)

S = Street—

He emerged from the alleyway onto Tetsugorō Street.

He looked around, but Sanji was nowhere to be seen.
He belatedly lamented having messed up but there was nothing to be done.

S = Road—

Humming a tune, Sanji walked on jauntily.
(F.O.)

S = Inari Shrine Precincts

Sanji came to that area.

Ogin, who had been calling out to customers at the tea stall, spotted Sanji and greeted him with a welcoming smile. "Please do come and rest," she said.

Needless to say, Sanji’s purpose here was none other than Ogin herself.

As he sat resting on a camp stool, a rakish-looking man approached the spot.
He was slightly drunk and unsteady on his feet.

That man also took a rest at the tea stall.

Sanji clicked his tongue at the unpleasant man.

The rakish man, in high spirits from drinking, grabbed Ogin’s hand as she brought tea and tried to pull her close.

“Huh?” Ogin shook free and drew back.

“You must be joking,” she said with a laugh.

The rakish man gave a creepy laugh. “Just a joke.”

Sanji scowled fiercely.

There, a ronin arrived saying “Pardon me!” and sat down right next to the rakish man.
Having observed this, Sanji conceived a plan.

When Ogin brought tea to the ronin, the drunken rakish man tried to grab her arm from the side but was shaken off once more.

Ogin recoiled and fled into the back of the tea shop.

The rakish man, pleased with himself, followed after her.

Sanji used that moment to swiftly slip up beside the ronin and,

“Sir,” he called out in a low voice.

“What?” said the ronin, looking at Sanji.

Sanji,

“Sir, do you have your wallet?”

he asked.

While thinking this fellow was saying something peculiar, the ronin replied “Of course I do!” and checked his breast pocket—only to startle.
“This cannot be!”
he exclaimed in a panic,

A close-up showed the ronin’s wallet clutched in Sanji’s left hand behind his back.

From inside the tea shop, Ogin emerged, having shaken off the rakish man with some remark like “Stop your joking!”
The rakish man came out from behind, still persistently chasing after her.

Sanji grabbed him by the collar and pushed him down right there.

The rakish man tumbled.

Sanji to the ronin,
“This guy’s a pickpocket!”
he said.

The ronin grabbed the rakish man by the collar with a “What?!”

A close-up showed the ronin's wallet peeking halfway out of the rakish man's pocket.

Sanji had swiftly thrown it in.

The ronin pulled out the wallet from the rakish man—who protested "What're ya doin'?!"—and,

“You vile cur!” he bellowed, hoisting the man onto his shoulder and flinging him bodily away.

The rakish man who had been thrown panicked,

“N-No, no! It’s some kind of mistake!”

Without listening to his excuses, he beat him mercilessly.
Sanji and Ogin watched.

A comically exaggerated scuffle ensued between the fleeing rakish man and the ronin, who ultimately grabbed the now-staggering man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.

Sanji and Ogin saw them off.

Ogin said to Sanji, “Pickpockets are rather unpleasant, aren’t they?”

When she said this, Sanji grimaced.
He laughed bashfully to hide his embarrassment and replied, "I suppose so," but didn't feel too good about it.

SCENE: Street――

Tetsugorō came sauntering along.

SCENE: Original tea shop――

In front of Sanji, who sat on a bench, a child from somewhere passed by wailing as they went home.

Sanji, who had been watching it without really seeing it, suddenly remembered.

SCENE: Crossroads――

Katsubō’s tearful face as he waited.

SCENE: Back to――

Sanji stood up.

“I forgot!” he exclaimed, hurriedly paid for the tea, and ran off.
Ogin watched him go with a suspicious look.

"As dusk approached——"

SCENE: Road――

Sanji returned home, leading little Katsubō by the hand.

As he walked along with Katsubō,

“Where's home, kid?”

he asked.

Katsubō pointed into the far distance and answered, “Way over there.”

Katsubō, as if suddenly remembering,

“Mister, you’re a pickpocket, huh?”

he asked.
At this, Sanji was at a loss.
He laughed,

“That’s right—I’m Japan’s number one pickpocket!”

he declared with false bravado.
(F.O.)

SCENE: Tenement Entrance――

Sanji had brought him that far.
Katsubō indicated the back of the tenement,

“We’re living back here with Sis, just the two of us, you know,” he said.

Being told by Sanji to hurry home, he disappeared into the back of the tenement, turning around again and again to laugh and wave.

At that innocent sight, Sanji couldn’t help but smile as he watched him leave.
(F.O.)

“The next morning”

SCENE: Street corner from the first scene

Tetsugorō and Sanji unexpectedly bumped into each other again today.
Tetsugorō said sarcastically,
“Off to pray at the shrine again today?”

he asked.

Sanji struck a dashing pose and said, “That’s right.”

Katsubō, who had toddled over, saw Sanji and ran up to him.

He pulled on Sanji’s sleeve and said,

“Mister Pickpocket, let’s play!”

Even Sanji, for all his quick wit, was taken aback by this.

Tetsugorō burst into laughter.
Clueless Katsubō kept pulling on Sanji’s sleeve.
Tetsugorō said to Sanji,
“Kids don’t lie.”
With that, he laughed sarcastically and walked away.

Later, Sanji scolded Katsubō: “Don’t say such foolish things!”

Katsubō, unperturbed,

“Let’s play hide-and-seek at the Inari Shrine.”

Yet despite this plea, Sanji brushed him off with a “Not today” and walked away.

Katsubō was left alone, but then quietly followed from behind again.

(F.O.)

SCENE: Street――

A merchant-like man came along.

Sanji came from the opposite direction.

They passed each other.

After walking a few paces, Sanji grinned slyly.

SCENE: Vicinity――

A merchant came along.

From the shadows, Tetsugorō suddenly appeared and called out to stop him.

SCENE: Previous Location――

Sanji took out the wallet he had just pickpocketed from his breast pocket.
It was quite heavy.
With a self-satisfied smirk, he was about to check its contents when he froze.

Tetsugorō had brought along that merchant and called out to stop him.

Sanji quickly threw the wallet into the distance.

The wallet fell to the ground.

From his hiding spot, Katsubō saw this and went 'Huh?'

Tetsugorō caught up to Sanji and sneered mockingly.

“Sanji, time to pay your dues at last.”

Sanji’s heart skipped a beat, but he put on an innocent act. “What’s this? Comin’ at me outta nowhere?” he bluffed.

Tetsugorō wore a triumphant expression,

“As promised, I’ve secured the scene.”
“Stay contrite.”

“I ain’t got a foggy notion what you’re jawin’ about,”

and continued to feign ignorance.

Tetsugorō patted down Sanji’s clothes.

Katsubō picked up the fallen wallet.

He came trotting up to the two of them.

Tetsugorō saw it and stiffened.

Sanji thought he was done for.

The merchant cried “Here! Here!” and snatched the wallet from the child’s hand.

Tetsugorō looked between Katsubō and Sanji and barked “Aha!”
He drilled Sanji with a glare.

Glared at, Sanji thought he was done for.
Tetsugorō stroked Katsubō’s head,

“You know who dropped this wallet, don’t you?”

he asked.

Katsubō nodded. “I know.”

Sanji signaled with his eyes: "Don't!"

Katsubō, looking over Tetsugorō’s shoulder toward Sanji,
...made a face that said, "Mister, what’re ya doin’?"

Tetsugorō said to Katsubō,
“Just tell me honestly who dropped it.”

Katsubō started to say, “Yeah, well, that’s…”

Sanji again signaled with his eyes: "Don't!"

Katsubō tilted his head slightly and hesitated mid-sentence.

“Out with it already,” said Tetsugorō.

Sanji quietly pointed at the merchant beside him.

With an “Ohhh!”, Katsubō caught on,
“This person dropped it,”
and pointed at the merchant.

Tetsugorō's assumption missed the mark.
Sanji swaggered out as if to say, "How's that?"
While stroking Katsubō's head, he turned toward the merchant.

“You dropped it yourself and now you’re fooling around?!” he berated.
Scolded, the merchant departed while apologizing.

Sanji, this time to Tetsugorō,

“Boss, the kid’s honest as they come, ain’t he?”

Having said this sarcastically, he took Katsubō's hand,

“Let’s play hide-and-seek at Inari Shrine with your old pal!”

he said.
Katsubō was delighted.
The two of them left.

Tetsugorō, having seen them off, crossed his arms and thought, “How peculiar.”

S=Inari Shrine Precincts

Katsubō and Sanji came hand in hand.

Ogin from the tea shop saw this and called out.

“Katsubō.”

Katsubō released Sanji's hand and ran to where Ogin was.

Sanji went "Huh?!" in surprise.

Katsubō was talking to Ogin.

“Sis, it’s that pickpocket mister from yesterday!”

Ogin gasped in surprise.

Sanji was even more shocked.

Ogin stood frozen in shock.

Sanji wished he could disappear through the ground.
Unable to stay, he ran off.

The dumbfounded Ogin watched him leave.
Katsubō couldn't comprehend what had happened.
(F.O.)

S=Riverside

Willows drooping over the river surface.
A quiet flow.

Sanji leaned against the willow, his face lonely.

“I’m a pickpocket.”

He muttered,
"To someone so respectable..."
then continued,
"For a thug like me to fall in love—that's just wrong."

He muttered persistently to himself.

"I can never ever make Miss Ogin happy."

He wore a grief-stricken face.

“Give up!”

he declared forcefully and started walking.

“That’s right—I’ll make a clean break of it!”

As Sanji came striding briskly to the bridge’s approach, he collided with a ronin with such force that he went sprawling onto his back.
The ronin Ukai Saburō offered a curt “My apologies” before walking briskly away.

Sanji got up and watched him leave.
Before long, he grinned slyly—clutched in his right hand was Saburō’s wallet.

Saburō walked away.

Sanji stood on the bridge.

When he checked the contents of the wallet, what emerged along with the money was a vendetta pardon certificate (CLOSE-UP).

“Oh crap!”

With that, Sanji was startled,

“I gotta return this.”

and hurriedly ran off in pursuit of Saburō.

S=Nearby Street

Sanji came running, lost sight of Saburō and was pacing around when five or six people came clattering down the road in escape.

It was somehow noisy.

“A fight!”

People ran past, all shouting in unison—“A fight!”

Sanji followed after them.

A crowd of onlookers watched fearfully from a distance.

“It’s a vendetta!”

As Sanji heard someone shout, he glanced around—

Ukai Saburō was locked in combat with Tanakura Denpachirō and about a dozen other ronin.

Sanji gasped in surprise.

Swordplay.

Tanakura was quick to flee.

Saburō cut down the two or three ronin who attacked him as he tried to give chase and continued pursuing.

From behind, the crowd of onlookers clamored noisily.
Saburō pursued the fleeing Denpachirō and the ronin.

A ronin stopped and faced Saburō.

Swordplay.

Sanji among the onlookers.

The chase resumed in earnest.

Saburō finally sustained a leg injury and collapsed, while Denpachirō fled with the surviving ronin.

Saburō collapsed, tears of frustration streaming down his face.
The clamoring crowd of onlookers noisily surrounded him.
As Sanji stood worrying among them, an official appeared, pushing through the human wall.

Saburō said to the official,

“I must apologize for the disturbance.
This is a matter of vendetta.”

With that,

“I regrettably allowed the hated foe to escape,” he said.

The official asked perfunctorily.

“The pardon certificate?”

In the crowd of onlookers, Sanji gasped.

Saburō searched his pockets but found nothing, so he panicked slightly.

The official looked at Saburō with a suspicious eye.

Unable to bear it any longer, Sanji burst out from the crowd,

“It fell over there.”

he said and handed the wallet to Saburō.

Saburō delightedly showed the pardon certificate inside to the official.

(F.O.)

S = Interior of Sanji's house

On the tatami lay a sheet of hanshi paper, with an inkstone box placed beside where an inro case had been drawn.
At its side, Sanji bandaged Saburō's leg wound.

“This humble one is eternally grateful,” said Saburō. He took up the nearby hanshi paper and showed it to Sanji, saying, “This here’s that inro.”

“I see,” Sanji replied as he took it and examined it.

Saburō continued, “The one who carries that inro is none other than my enemy, Tanakura Denpachirō.”

Having heard this, Sanji accepted with a “Right you are,” adding, “Three days is all I need. I’ll track him down for sure and show you.”

Saburō humbly requested, “I leave the matter in your capable hands.”

Sanji pockets the hanshi.

(F.O.)

S = Street

The movement of the deep-brimmed-hatted ronin continued for some time.

An inro hanging at the waist filled the screen in close-up.

Sanji and the ronin passed each other.

After walking five or six paces past, Sanji took out the hanshi paper with the inro drawing from his pocket and compared it with the inro he had just stolen.
Finding it didn’t match, he clicked his tongue and tossed it aside.
Then another deep-brimmed-hatted samurai passed behind Sanji.

Sanji stealthily followed behind.

The samurai walked onward.

A close-up showed the inro at the waist.

Sanji continued his pursuit.

Sanji suddenly quickened his pace, overtook the samurai, and immediately broke into a run.

S = Alleyway corner

He turned the corner, stopped, and compared the drawing with the inro.

Wrong again!

He clicked his tongue and threw the inro.

The inro fell to the ground.

The one who abruptly halted before that was the samurai now present.

While thinking it looked familiar, he picked up the inro case and tilted his head quizzically, but—

Absentmindedly reaching to his waist, he found the inro was gone.
He let out a startled "Huh?!"
It was as if he’d been bewitched by a fox.

S = Izakaya (Night)

In the earthen-floored area, Sanji sat on a stool, nursing his drink in small sips.

He occasionally glanced toward the tatami room and pondered.

Behind the screen in the tatami room, five or six samurai were drinking sake.
One of them was Tanakura Denpachirō.

Sanji thought that face looked familiar.

Thinking it might be him, he called the woman over,

“Who might that be?” he asked.

The woman,

“He’s the master of the dojo just over there—goes by something like Master Sagara Den’emon,”

she said.

“Was I wrong?” Sanji muttered and looked again.

Tanakura's group began preparations to leave.

Sanji considered stopping him.
“Alright!” he muttered as something clicked into place, then grinned slyly in his characteristic manner.

Tanakura's group were descending into the earthen-floored area.

Sanji suddenly clutched his side and began writhing in pain. "It hurts! It hurts!"

The izakaya attendant, startled, attended to him. "What’s wrong?"

Sanji writhed dramatically, "It hurts! It hurts!"

Tanakura, having descended to the earthen floor, came to a halt.

Tanakura exchanged glances with his disciples.

Tanakura took out the inro from his waist.
Pressing his side, he thought he had Sanji cornered.
Tanakura approached Sanji and took out the medicine from the inro.
Suddenly, Sanji took the inro in hand and examined it.
"It's him!" he shouted.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Tanakura immediately retrieved the inro from Sanji’s hand.
Sanji looked up at Tanakura and laughed—heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.
Tanakura raged but forced a bitter smile,
“What’s this? An act?”

With that curt remark, he tried to leave along with his disciples.

Sanji suddenly sprang to his feet and shouted.

“Sir Sagara.”

“Sagara Den’emon.”

Tanakura whirled around. “What?!” he snarled.

Sanji,

“Don’t give me that ‘Sagara’ crap! You’re really Tanakura!”

“Huh?!” Tanakura started in surprise.
Sanji,

“And they call you Denpachi here, don’t they?”

Tanakura, realizing what was happening, signaled to his disciples.

Sanji rolled up his sleeves and closed in on Tanakura.

“Sworn foe! Prepare yourself—you face your reckoning!”

Tanakura was taken aback but, together with his disciples, placed their hands on their sword hilts and took a defensive stance.
Sanji leapt back,

“I’ll come charging right in close, so why don’t you wash that neck of yours and wait!”

As the enraged disciples—humiliated and furious—charged in, Sanji dodged around them and bolted outside.

[Night Streets]

Sanji fleeing, Tanakura and his men in pursuit.

Patrolling officers happened to be passing by,
they asked what was happening.
Tanakura,
“He is a thief.”
he called out and gave chase together with the officers.

Several chase sequence cuts.

In the end, Sanji, cornered by them, dashed into Ogin's tenement.

S=Inside the tenement

He took refuge.

Sanji dashed into a house.

S=Inside Ogin's Residence

Sanji came dashing in.

Ogin and Katsubō came out from the tatami room and exclaimed, “Oh!” in surprise.

Sanji was also surprised.

S=Tenement Front

Tanakura’s gang and the officers,

“It’s definitely this tenement—”

Tanakura shouted.

S=Ogin's House

Ogin pulled the skylight rope. “Come on, through here!” she urged.
“Sorry ’bout this,” Sanji said as he climbed up the rope.

S=Outside the tenement

One of the officers said,
“He’s a cornered rat now.”

he said.

Tanakura and his men entered the tenement.

[Roof]

Sanji traversed like a monkey.

[Nearby Street]

Sanji nimbly leapt down from the roof and was about to slip away when he abruptly collided with Tetsugorō, who came hurrying along the street.

Sanji called out to stop him,

“Where might you be off to, Boss?”

he asked.

Tetsugorō,

“A thief just fled into that tenement over there.”

Sanji replied without batting an eye, “Is that so, kay?”

Tetsugorō said, “I was sure it was you again and came here, but...”

Sanji replied without batting an eye, “Don’t be ridiculous. You must be joking, Boss.”

“Even if I look like this, I’m an honest man, y’know.”

Tetsugorō left with a wry smile. “As if I’d believe that?”

Having seen him off, Sanji grinned smugly and muttered, “What a softie.”

S=Tenement

Tanakura and the officers worked together to search the tenement one house at a time.

Ogin opened her house’s door and emerged wearing an expression that said, “What’s happening?”

Tanakura noticed Ogin and stared at her transfixed.

Ogin grew uneasy under Tanakura’s lingering gaze and withdrew inside.

Tanakura smiled.
One of the disciples nearby exchanged meaningful looks that seemed to say “Ah, so that’s how it is.”
(F.O.)

The next morning, Sanji visited the Inari Shrine for the first time in ages.

S=Inari Shrine Precincts

Ogin's tea stall is closed.
Sanji has been pacing back and forth in front of it since earlier, but Sanji finally comes to a stop.

"Home, maybe?"

he muttered to himself.

(F.O.)

S=Tenement

At the wellside, two or three housewives stand conversing.

In front of Ogin’s house too, five or six people quietly peer inside.

Sanji arrived there.

He stopped, finding the crowd gathered before Ogin’s house suspicious.
The housewives at the wellside whispered among themselves.

“Pretty girls have it easy.”

Having caught a snippet of this,

Sanji asked the housewives, “What’s going on?”

The housewives replied,

“Apparently some fancy kendo teacher’s been insisting he must have her as his bride.”

Hearing this, Sanji showed no mercy.

But he left without ceremony.

S=Front of the Tenement

Sanji came out looking forlorn.
As if persuading himself,
"That’s how it should be."

Having said that, he felt sad,

"After all, she wasn't a woman who'd fall for someone like me,"

he resigned himself to this.

S=Ogin's House

Tanakura Denpachirō and one of his disciples were trying to woo Ogin.
Katsubō was by Ogin’s side.

“I must decline.”

“Huh?!” Tanakura startled.

Ogin firmly refused, saying, “Please leave.”

(F.O.)

S=Sanji's Residence (Night)

In the lamplight’s glow, Saburō brushed his long sword’s scabbard and stared intently.

From beside him, Sanji also peered in.

Saburō wore a knowing smile as he sheathed his sword.

Sanji said,

“So tomorrow’s finally the day of your vendetta, eh?”

Even Saburō couldn’t contain his joy when told this.
There came a knocking sound at the front door.

Sanji stood up with a start.

The front door continued being pounded insistently.

“Who’s there?” Sanji cautiously stepped down into the earthen-floored entryway,

When he opened the door,

Katsubō tumbled in.

“Sis—!”

he shouted.

Sanji, startled, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Katsubō still,
“Sis—!”
he shouted.

S=Tenement Night

Tanakura's disciples grabbed Ogin, forced her into a palanquin, and carried her away.

S=Sanji's Residence

Sanji stood up with a “What?!”

Ukai Saburō too tried to rush out with his sword half-drawn, but Sanji stopped him.

“Sir, you’ve got tomorrow’s vendetta ahead—your body’s too precious for this.”

Forcibly holding him back,

he pulled Katsubō’s hand and dashed out.

(F.O.)

S=Tenement

Sanji rushed to the scene.

Four or five tenement residents were chattering noisily, but even listening carefully, he couldn’t make sense of it.
"This is troublesome," Sanji thought.

Katsubō started crying about his sister.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry,”
he said while stroking the boy’s head.

(F.O.)

S=Tanakura's Residence - A Room

Surrounded by his disciples, Tanakura Denpachirō smirked contentedly. Beside him, Ogin trembled like a fledgling dove.

S=Tenement

Sanji was leaning against the front door of Ogin's house, standing there dazed.
Nearby, Katsubō was crying.

He spotted something on the ground, muttered “Huh?”, and picked it up.

“Something like this,” he said and handed it to Sanji.

It was an inro.
Sanji received it and, upon closer inspection, saw it was Tanakura’s possession.

“So it’s Tanakura!”

Hngh!
Delighted, Sanji declared,

“Go get our Sir.”

Having said that, he placed the inro into Katsubō’s hand and made him grip it,

“Tomorrow’s vendetta gets moved up to tonight!”

Sanji shouted and dashed out.

Katsubō also ran off.

S=Tanakura's Residence

Tanakura grabbed Ogin’s wrist.

Ogin tried to shake free and escape but was pulled back.

S=Night Street

Sanji ran and ran.

S=Tanakura's Residence

Ogin and Tanakura's struggle.

S=Street

Sanji ran.

S=Tanakura's Residence

Ogin's desperate scream.

“Mr. Sanji!”

S=In Front of Tanakura's Residence Gate

Sanji burst in like a whirlwind.

S=Tatami Room

As danger closed in on Ogin, Sanji came charging in,

planting himself before her like a temple guardian.

S=Sanji's Residence

Katsubō rushed into Sanji’s residence.

S=Tanakura's Residence

Sanji faced the disciples,
he went on an utterly chaotic rampage.

S=Sanji's Residence

Swiftly tying his wristbands and donning his headband， Saburō
dashed out with his sword hastily drawn.

S=Tanakura's Residence

Sanji threw sliding doors and paper screens—whatever came to hand—swinging them around in a massive brawl.

S=Street

Saburō ran.
He ran!
The two cut back and forth between each other.

S=Finally, Saburō dove into the midst of the brawl.

“Tanakura Denpachi! I won’t let you escape!”

And so began the swordfight choreography.

Finally, he struck Denpachi down with a straight bamboo-split cut—CRASH-CLANG!
Rapidly F.O.

(Or

After Saburō cut down Denpachi, please F.O. during the height of the swordfight choreography with the numerous other disciples.
In short, we can't have the final scene losing its impact, so please make Saburō's swordfight choreography as simple as possible.)

“The sky clears and the wind rustles—”

A drooping willow tree

The quiet flow of the river.

Sanji and Ogin leaned against the bridge railing.

S=Sanji

“I’ve told you time and again, Miss Ogin. I’m a no-good pickpocket,” he said. “But you... you’re a proper, upstanding girl,” he added, his voice trembling with emotion.

A greengrocer carrying a load passed by the two of them.

The greengrocer's load had one side piled high and the other scarce.

Moreover, the greengrocer appeared to be a novice…

He departed, clearly struggling to shoulder it.

The two of them stared intently as they watched him leave.
Sanji muttered to himself.

“Ain’t balanced.”

The greengrocer walked away from the riverside.

Sanji stared intently, watching him leave.

When his shoulder was tapped and he turned around,

Before he knew it, there stood Tetsu.

When Sanji greeted him with a “Well, well,” Tetsu glanced sideways at Ogin,

“Not bad for a partner.”

he said.

Sanji snorted dismissively and turned away.

A close-up of the jitte at Tetsu’s waist.

Ogin stealthily slipped it out.

Unaware, Tetsu walked away.

Sanji watched him leave and turned to Miss Ogin,
“There ya have it, Miss Ogin. Take a good look,”
he said,
“If you stay with me, you’ll end up gettin’ turned into a hoodlum like that.”
As he said this,
Ogin, who had been listening silently the entire time,
revealed the jitte she had been hiding in her sleeve to Sanji.
Sanji was shocked.

Ogin,

“The item from that officer’s waist.”

“Idiot!” Sanji scolded, snatching the jitte and throwing it away.
“Why’d you go and steal somethin’ like this?”
Having been rebuked, Ogin said coaxingly,
“I’m a hoodlum too, you know.”

At her unexpected words, Sanji silently gazed at Ogin.

Ogin,
“I did this… all because I wanted you to see me that way.”
Sanji gazed intently at Ogin without blinking.

Tears glistened on Ogin’s cheek,

“We’re both foxes in the same den now.”

and pressed close to Sanji. “Right?!”

“Do you understand now, Mr. Sanji?”

Sanji stayed silent.
At length, he spoke.

“Got it... Ogin.”

Tetsu came back while scanning the area.

Spotting Sanji, he sidled up,

“You ain’t seen my jitte around, have ya?”

he demanded.

Sanji assumed a clueless expression and said, “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

Tetsu looked disappointed.

Abruptly looking down at his feet,

“It’s right here!” he said, picking it up and showing it to Sanji.

Sanji feigned ignorance. “You must be joking, Boss.”

“That ain’t no jitte, Boss.”

When told this, Tetsu shot back, “The hell you say?”

“If this ain’t a jitte, then what in blazes is?” Sanji laughed with a “hehehehe,”

“That there’s the matchmaking deity for the two of us, ya know.”

With that, he left together with Ogin.
(F.O)